Authors: Jo Whittemore
The Secret Talent (14 page)
Heather and I both raised our eyebrows.
“Okay, there's way more to
that
story,” I said, putting down my cards.
When V emerged from the back room, it was to find me, Heather, and Katie laughing so hard we were crying. Even though she had no idea why, Vanessa joined in.
“Poor Pete,” said Heather between giggles. “That banana sandwich just wasn't worth it.”
We all calmed down, and I poked Vanessa in the side. “How was your time with the teller?”
“Fun!” she said. “We talked about fashion and Disney World.”
Katie, Heather, and I looked at one another.
“What about your reading?” asked Katie.
“Well, I'm going to get less clumsy,” she said, making a thumbs-up. “But she didn't mention anything about getting rich.” She held up a finger. “Although there are about to be major changes in my love life.”
“Ooh!” Heather rubbed her hands together. “Between you and Gil?”
Gil Pendleton was Vanessa's boyfriend, who
also happened to work at the
Lincoln Log
with us doing horoscopes and photography.
I narrowed my eyes in mock dismay. “V, I don't want to be on your reality show,
Middle School Marriage
.”
Everyone started laughing again, including Vanessa, who placed her hands on her blushing cheeks.
“I could melt snow with my face right now!” she exclaimed.
Madame Delphi appeared in the doorway, and we quieted.
“We're so sorry!” said Katie. “We didn't mean to disturb the spirit world.”
“It's all right. There was one more of you waiting to see me?” asked Madame Delphi.
“That's me!” I got to my feet and stepped over my tarot-card house.
Madame Delphi nodded and gestured for me to follow. I waved at my friends before stepping
through the doorway into a smaller, even darker room.
“Please sit,” said Madame Delphi, pointing to a small table with two chairs across from each other. There wasn't a crystal ball like I'd been expecting. Just another pack of tarot cards and a tea set.
I scooted my chair as close to the table as possible and placed both hands in the center, palms up. Now for the real excitement!
“I won't be reading your palms today,” said Madame Delphi. “It is a very inexact practice.”
“Oh.” I withdrew my hands.
Madame Delphi reached for the teapot and poured hot water into a cup, placing it in front of me. I peered inside and saw leaves skittering along the bottom.
“Let that sit for a few minutes while we turn the cards,” she said.
She passed them to me and asked me to
shuffle. “I need the cards to pick up your energy and presence.”
I looked down at the cards. “Um . . . okay.”
When I was done, she had me spread the cards facedown across the table.
“Choose three,” she said. “To represent your past, present, and future.”
I selected three and handed them to her. As she turned them over, she explained what they meant.
“The Strength card reveals you have accomplished much.”
I sat a little straighter in my chair and puffed out my chest. “Yep!”
“The Three of Pentacles means you are currently in a position where you must collaborate and work well with others.”
“I'm the team leader for my advice column and captain of my soccer team,” I said.
She nodded. “Your cards represent you well.”
Madame Delphi flipped the last card and gasped.
“What?” I asked.
“Your future,” she said, “is represented by the Nine of Swords!” In a softer voice she added, “The lord of cruelty.”
That didn't sound promising.
“What . . . what does that mean?” I managed to squeak out.
“Great sorrow and grief,” said Madame Delphi. . . .
Photo by Sonya Sones
JO WHITTEMORE
is the author of the tween novels
Front Page Face-Off, Odd Girl In, D Is for Drama, Colonial Madness
, and the Confidentially Yours series. Jo is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators and is one of the founding members of the Texas Sweethearts & Scoundrels. When she isn't writing, Jo spends her time with family and friends in Austin, dreaming of the day she can afford a chocolate house.
Discover great authors, exclusive offers, and more at
hc.com
.
Confidentially Yours #1: Brooke's Not-So-Perfect Plan
Confidentially Yours #2: Vanessa's Fashion Face-Off
Confidentially Yours #3: Heather's Crush Catastrophe
CONFIDENTIALLY YOURS: THE SECRET TALENT.
Copyright © 2016 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
www.harpercollinschildrens.com
Library of Congress Control Number: 2016938981
ISBN 978-0-06-235899-8
EPub Edition © August 2016 ISBN 9780062359001
16Â Â 17Â Â 18Â Â 19Â Â 20Â Â Â Â
OPM
    10  9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1
FIRST EDITION
Australia
HarperCollins Publishers Australia Pty. Ltd.
Level 13, 201 Elizabeth Street
Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia
Canada
HarperCollins Canada
2 Bloor Street East - 20th Floor
Toronto, ON M4W 1A8, Canada
New Zealand
HarperCollins Publishers New Zealand
Unit D1, 63 Apollo Drive
Rosedale 0632
Auckland, New Zealand
United Kingdom
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
1 London Bridge Street
London SE1 9GF, UK
United States
HarperCollins Publishers Inc.
195 Broadway
New York, NY 10007